Device for clamping inner tube stock



June 12 19 5] v H, H, v c s 2,556,306

DEVICE FOR CLAMPING INNER TUBE STOCK Original Filed June 2, 1947 4 SheetsSh eet 1 June 12, 1951 H. H. VICKERS 2,556,306

DEVICE FOR CLAMPING INNER IUBE STOCK Original Filed June 2, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mil 57 $4 a. 55 54 m? Lk'ififikl 2 v lliilfi'fl lliz,

June 12, 1951 H. H. VICKERS 0 DEVICE FOR CLAMPINGINNER TUBE STOCK- Original Filed June 2, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 12, 1951 DEVICE FOR CLAN- PING ENNER TUBE STOCK Herbert H. Vickers, Union, N. 5., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application June 2, 1947, Serial No. 751,804. Divided and this application January 22, 1949, Serial No. 72,164

4 Claims.

1 This application is a division of an earlier application Serial No. 751,804, filed June 2, 1947.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the splicing of rubber articles.

Methods and machines for the automatic splicing of rubber articles and particularly inner tubes are disclosed in U. S. Patent Nos. 2,024,577; 2,024,578; 2,040,466; 2,272,881; 2,273,463 and 2,273,464. In practicing the inventions of the above-enumerated patents, two ends of the inner tube stock are clamped fiat in a pair of aligned clamping devices, and while so held, said ends are cut off transversely and heated. Thereafter the freshly cut ends are brought forcibly together and joined preparatory to vulcanization.

The above mentioned methods and machines are, in general, highly satisfactory for making inner tubes of natural rubber sinc natural rubber inner tube compositions are extremely pliable, have a very high degree of tack, are easy to fiatten completely in the clamps and have an enveloping quality that enables them to form a satisfactory bond between two surfaces even though separated by a coating of talc.

Butyl rubber, or the copolymers of an isoolefin such as isobutylene and a, multi-olefin such as butadiene and isoprene prepared at low temperatures in the presence of Friedel-Crafts catalysts as described in U. S. Patent 2,356,128, dated August 22, 1944, by Thomas and Sparks, have been found to be vastly superior to natural rubber as a gas barrier and therefore superior as inner tube stock material since tires having inner tubes made thereof require inflation much less frequently. It has been found, however, that it is i extremely difficult to manufacture inner tubes of butyl rubber by the above mentioned methods and machines without forming a considerable number of defective tubes or rejects. Properties contributing to the diificulty are (1) the difficulty of cutting the tube stock to a perpendicular and true face, (2) the resistivity of unevenly cut faces to flattening o-r matching on pressure contact in the butting of the tube ends, (3) the resistivity to flattening of the tube folds causing the formation of a hollow core within the flattened tube folds; and (4) the tendency to crack at the tube folds.

It is the object of the present invention to pro vide a clamp which is capable of flattening inner tube stocks, including those prepared from butyl rubber, in such a manner that the formation of a hollow core within the flattened tube folds is substantially avoided. It is also an object of this invention to provide a clamp which avoids or overcomes the defects attributable to the scissor-like closing action of ordinary clamps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clamp with means for exerting a greater pressure upon the folds of the inner tube stock.

These and other objects will appear more clearly from the detailed specification and claims which follow.

It has now been found that inner tube stocks, including those prepared from butyl rubber can be substantially completely flattened in an inner tube splicing machine clamp closing with a scissor-like action, such as the clamps of Fig. 2 of the Campbell et a1. U. S. Patent 2,273,463 if the face of the clamp is so shaped that it first contacts the tube stock at some point other than at the rear of the clamp or at the edge near the pivot point of the clamp preferably closing upon the two folds of the tube first and that flattening of the tube stock in the clamp can be further improved by providing the laminations overlying the folds of the tube with projecting teeth at the front edge of the clamps for pressing and compacting the tube stocks at the fold thereby closing up the hollow core and assuring correctalignment of the cut tube ends when brought into abutment. It has also been found that cutting or damage at the tube fold adjacent the pivoted point of the clamp can be avoided by making the lamination which contacts this fold wider, i. e., two or three times as wide as the ordinary lamination and preferably so shaped that it conforms to the curved contour of the tube fold.

Reference is made to theaccompanying drawing wherein several embodiments of this invention are illustrated. In the drawing,

Figure l is a detailed view of a pair of clamping arms in perspective with parts cut away showing convex faced laminated clamps in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section through one form of convex faced laminated clamp.

Figure 3 is a cross section through a solid type clamp having a convex contact surface.

Figure 4 is a cross section through a solid type clamp having a double convex contact surface.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section through a portion of the tube directly in front of the laminated clamp showing the hollow core which is formed at the tube fold.

Figure 6 is an enlarged crOSS section through a portion of the tube directly in front of a clamp provided with projecting teeth on the front edges of the laminations contacting the tube fold for flattening the tube and substantially eliminating the hollow core at the tube fold.

Figure '7 is a side elevation showing a lamination having a projecting tooth for flattening the tube fold.

Figure 8 is a cross section through a laminated clamp having a double convex face, and

Figure 9 is a cross section through a convex faced laminated clamp which is further provided with an extra wide lamina for minimizing clamp damage to the tube at the fold adjacent the pivot point of the clamp.

Referring to the drawing, it is noted that for purposes of simplification, details of the splicing machine as a whole have been omitted since they form no part of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the clamps, cutting knives and the like shown in the drawings are mounted in a machine such as that shown in U. S. Patent 2,273,463, dated February 17, 1942, to J. F. Campbell et al., in substantially the same way as the clamps l5 and I8 and the trimming knives 2B of that patent.

As shown in Figure 1, the clamps comprise a pair of supporting arms I, pivotally supported at 2 upon a shaft which is connected to suitable power means, not shown, for moving the clamps into operative or tube engaging position and into operative or tube releasing position. Each supporting arm l is shaped like an inverted T and carries along its length a multiplicity of U- shaped laminae 3 which serve as active tube clamping members when the supporting arms are brought into tube-engaging position. An air pressure bag 4 is arranged in known manner be tween the bottom of the supporting arms I and the laminae 3, an air hose connection 5 being provided in the end plate 5 for supplying air under pressure to the bag 4. In inoperative position the laminae are supported upon the shoulders l of the supporting arms 5. The shoulders i are cut away to form a concave supporting surface at 8, the laminae presenting a convex face 9 corresponding to the concavity in the shoulders of the supporting arms. If the concave portion is provided in the supporting arm by machining away a part of the shoulder, it is ordinarily desirable to incorporate a filler piece on the underside of the supporting armbeneath and of substantially the same size as the concavity in order to prevent undue extension of the air pressure bag at this region.

Lower clamp dies IE! provided with abutments l I support the inner tube stock I 2 during clamping, cutting and splicing of the tube stock. The abutments l I provide lateral support for and insure correct ali nment of the tube stock.

In order to get the best effect from this new shaped clamp arm, it is necessary to have a sli ht initial pressure on the air bag in the clamp arm laminations. This pressure, normally about 10-15 pounds is obtained by advancing the cam controlling the timing of the initial pressure to the air bags to coincide with the cam operating the clamp arm cylinders so that air at the said pressure goes into the clamp air bags at the same time that the clamps are actuated and before they actually close upon the tube stock. When the clamp is closed, pressure within the air bag is increased to about 30 to 90 lbs. per square inch in order to bring the laminae up to full clamping pressure which is maintained during the remainder of the splicing cycle, 1. e. during the trim ming of the free ends of the tube stock, the movement of the clamped, freshly trimmed ends of the tube stock into abutment and the maintenance of the tube stock in contact under pressure until a firm splice is fOl'TlQd.

The convex face i? is preferably arranged as shown in Figure i so that it contacts the tube stock 52 at the fold lit at the front of the clamp before or at about the same time that the laminae i iat the back of the clamp contacts the fold 55. In this way, the clamps press the excess tube stock away from the folds towards the center of the tube stock where it is more easily flattened. In the usual clamp having a flat surface, Contact is made at the fold at the rear of the clamp and all the excess stock is forced toward the front of the clamp, the fold there binding against the abutment, preventing flattening of the tube or in some cases, where the excess may be SdfllClSllt to overlap the abutment, causing a pinching of the tube stock and consequently a defect in if not a complete failure of the splice at this point.

The clamp shown in cross section in Figure 2 differs from that in Figure l by having the convexity in the clamp face opposite the center of the tube. The clamp comprises a supporting arm 2! which is pivotally supported at 22 for movement into operative clamping position and into inoperative or releasing position. Mounted on the supporting arm 2i which in cross section is shaped like an inverted T, are a plurality of laminae 23 which serve as active clamping members when the supporting arm is brought into operative clamping position. Part of the top portion of the supporting arm 2i is cut away as at 24 permitting the clamping laminae to present a substantially convex shaped face 25. An inflatable pneumatic bag 25 is provided within the clamp for applying suitable pressure to the laminae. The inner tube stock 2? is arranged on the supporting die 28 between lateral supporting members or abutments 29. The pneumatic bag 25 is connected to air line 3% supplying air at the desired pressure as described above. In this arrangement, the clamp presses the excess stock in two directions from the center, towards the folds thereby substantially reducing the fold at the front of the clamp.

Figure 3 shows a solid clamp 3i pivotally mounted at 32 on a supporting arm 33 which in turn is pivotally supported at as. In order to roll out corrugation in the inner tube stock upon closing, the clamp 3! is provided with a thin curved spring plate 35 which is secured to the clamp by means of a flexible suspension bracket The spring plate 35 is arranged at the front edge of the clamp 35 or, if the clamp is provided with a suitable recess for receiving the spring plate upon closing of the clamp thereby permitting the face of the clamp to exert suflicient pressure upon the tube stock, the spring can be 10- catcd some distance from the front edge of the clamp. Particularly if the spring plate is ared at the front edge of the clamp and thereby becomes the active clamping element, other expedients can be provided. For example, the recess for receiving the spring plate can be made of varying depth, preferably shallower near its ends causing a certain amount of protrusion of the spring plate beyond the surface of the clamp thereby increasing the pressure upon the tube stock particularly at the folds.

As in the previous embodiments, the inner tube stock 33' is supported on a lower clamping die 33 between abutments 39. Upon pivotal movement of the supporting arm 33 about the support 36 the clamp member 3i is brought into contact with the inner tube stock between the two lateral abutments 39. Contact is first made by the spring plate member 35 which tends to roll or iron out any bulges in the tube stock in two directions similarly to the laminated clamp of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 also shows a solid clamp such as that of Figure 3. In this embodiment, the solid clamp 4| is pivotally mounted at 42 on the supporting arm 43. The supporting arm 43 is pivotally mounted n4 for movement into and out of clamping engagement with the tube stock 45 supported on the lower clamping 'die 46. A doubly curved springplate 41 is also pivotally mounted in the clamp 4| at 42 and is designed to contact both folds of the 'tube at substantially the same time in ordef to press any excess stock toward the center of the tube. The die 4| is provided with a groove or recess 48 in which the spring plate 4'! fits when the clamp is closed.

Figure 5, 5! is the supporting die provided with an abutment or lateral support 52 and 53 are the laminae of a clamp such as is shown in Figure l. The rubber stock is shown at 54 and due to the resistance to flattening, particularly in the case of butyl rubber stocks, forms a hollow core 55 at the fold which resists flattening by the ordinary laminae 53. This hollow core can be substantially eliminated as shown in Figure 6,

by providing the laminations 56 which contact the tube fold with projecting teeth 51 at their front edges for intensifying the pressure at the fold reducing the hollow core to such an extent as ,to be inconsequential. It is obvious that the smaller the hollow core at the tube folds the more certain that the tubes will be in correct alignment when brought into abutment thereby assuring the formation of a sound splice.

The projecting teeth 5! on the laminae 56 are more clearly shown in side elevation in Figure '7 showing a complete lamina 55 with a projecting tooth 51 at its front edge for compacting the tube stock at the tube fold. The laminae are carried on supporting arm 59 and are forced into clamping engagement with the tube stock 54 on the supporting die 5| by the action of the pneumatic bag 60. The free ends of the tube stock 54 are cut in known manner by the trimming knife 61 working against the cutting anvil 62.

The clamp shown in Figure 8 is quite similar to that of Figure 2 is action but in this embodiment the supporting arm 8! is cut away at two parts 82 and 83 so that the laminae 84 present two convex portions 85 and 86 for contact with the tube stock. This arrangement permits a four-way ironing out or smoothing of the tube stock, i. e. from the center of each of the convex faces to the outer edges of the tube stock and from the center of said convex faces to the cen ter or mid portion of the tube stock.

Figure 9 is a cross section through the clamp of Figure 1 and is the preferred embodiment of this invention. I is the supporting arm for a laminated clamp which is pivotally supported at 2 for movement into operative clamping position and into inoperative or releasing position. A plurality of laminae 3 are mounted on the supporting arm i and the latter is partially cut away as at 8 in order that the laminae may present a convex face 9 to the inner tube stock I2 at the side farthest removed from the pivot point of the clamp. The inner tube stock is supported as described above on supporting die I 0 between the abutments ll. With the convex face 9 so arranged as to contact the tube stock l2 at the fold I3 adjacent the abutment at the front of the clamp, as shown, the other laminae contact the tube stock substantially simultaneously at the fold l5 adjacent the 'abutments at the rear of the clamp causing the clamp to press the tube stock from the folds toward the middle thereby reducing the hollow cores formed at the folds and bringing the greatest amount of the slack in the tube stock to the mid portion of the tube stock where it is relativel easily flattened by compressive action since no folds are present in the tube at this part.

Since the relatively narrow laminae 3 present several rather sharp edges to the tube stockat the folds, particularly at the fold adjacent to the pivotal point of the clamp where the laminae exert their greatest compressive action during the closing of the clamp on the tube stock, it is desirable in some cases to provide a lamina M which is several times thicker than the remaining laminae at the rear of the clamp for contact with the fold 15 in the tube stock adjacent the lateral support. This extra-wide or thick lamina I4 is preferably provided with a face for contacting the tube stock which conforms to the curvature of the fold or is tangential to the curvature in order to avoid applying a sharp edge of the lamina to the tube stock.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a novel method and means for splicing rubber inner tubes has been provided. While a limited number of embodiments have been shown it will be understood that this invention is not limited thereto since numerous variations are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for clamping inner tube stock during the splicing thereof comprising a base to receive and laterally contain said article, a supporting arm pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from said base, a plurality of tube stock engaging members freely supported on and movable with said arm toward and from tube stock on said base, teeth on the front edge of the article engaging members which contact the tube folds for compacting the tube stock and substantially eliminating the hollow core at the tube folds and pneumatic means arranged between said supporting arm and said article engaging members for maintaining the said members in contact with the supporting arm while the arm is in inoperative position and for bringing the said members firmly into engagement with the tube stock on the base when the arm is in operative clamping position.

2. A device for clamping inner tube stock during the splicing thereof comprising a base to receive and laterally contain said article, a supporting arm pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from said base, a plurality of tube stock engaging members freely supported on and movable with said arm toward and from tube stock on said base, a concavity in said supporting arm permitting said tube stock engaging members to present a convex shaped face to the tube stock to be clamped, teeth on the front edge of the article engaging members which contact the tube folds for compacting the tube stock and substantially eliminating the hollow core at the tube folds and pneumatic means arranged between said supporting arm and said article engaging members for maintaining'the said members in contact with the 7 supporting arm while the arm is in inoperative position and for bringing the said members firmly into engagement with the tube stock on the base when the arm is in operative clamping position.

3. In a device for shaping and clamping deformable articles, said device including a die to receive the articles having upstanding abutment members disposed in spaced relation laterally of the die to contain the articles thereon, an article shaping and clamping member, comprising a support arm extending laterally of the die beyond said abutments and movable toward and away from the die, upwardly facing shoulders lengthwise of said arm, and substantially integral therewith, forming therewith a common under surface of substantially uni form surface cont-our, laterally aligned concave surface portions in the upper surface of each shoulder and a corresponding convex surface in the common under surface of said arm and shoulders, said concave and convex surface portions being disposed longitudinally of said arm and shoulders intermediate the ends thereof and lying substantially within the extended inner limits of said abutment members, a plurality of U-shaped individual article engaging elements, freely supported on said shoulders for limited movement perpendicularly with reference thereto, and to one another forming therewith an innerchamber defined by said elements and the under surface of said arm and shoulders, and a deformable fluid pressure means within said chamber actuatable to cause said elements to assume an initial surface contour conforming to that of the arm and shoulder under surface, and to apply auxiliary clamping pressure to said elements when engaged with an article by movement of the arm toward said base.

4. In a deviceaccording to claim 3 an article shaping and clamping member in which said concave shoulder surface portions and convex commonunder surface portions are located adjacent the respective ends of said arm in longitudinally spaced relation thereof.

HERBERT H. VICKERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 626,427 Jones June 6, 1899 1,397,409 Duwelius Nov. 15, 1921 2,040,466 Christy May 12, 1936 2,254,596 Breth et a1. Sept. 2, 1941 2,273,463 Campbell et a1. Feb. 17, 1942 2,273,464 Campbell et al. Feb. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 667,398 France June 10, 1929 394,068 Great Britain June 22, 1933 117,458

Australia Sept. 1, 1943 

